Scott Hartnell will be out indefinitely because his left foot was injured in last night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. He was hit by a shot from teammate Kimmo Timonen in the third period.

Meanwhile, one period earlier, Brayden Schenn left his feet and made contact with Devils’ defenseman Anton Volchenkov. Even though no penalty was called on the play, upon further NHL review, the hit was determined to be illegal. As a result, Schenn will be suspended for one game.

Injuries are part of the game and affect teams in different ways depending upon a variety of factors. Reckless play, especially considering the League’s increased focus upon “head shots”, can’t be excused. Schenn hasn’t been suspended before, so hopefully this situation doesn’t happen again.

The Flyers spoke about renewing their overall defensive approach heading into this season. Early indications show that significant work needs to be done in that regard. The team’s offense was believed to be a strong point, with Hartnell and Schenn being two important pieces in that collective effort.

Losing Schenn for one game isn’t a problem. Being without Hartnell indefinitely is very troublesome.